
Selling a house, clearing out a house – both are easier with professionals!
Fortunately, the three siblings immediately sought professional help to sell the house. Katja initially thought she would just need to place an advertisement and wait for interested parties to get in touch. But Sina studied law. She knew that the first thing you need is a professional appraisal to determine a sale price that the co-heirs can't argue with. So they hired a reputable real estate agent, who seems to be doing a good job.
Clearing out takes a lot of time and energy
The property could find a buyer very soon, so it's high time to get on with the clearing out and decluttering. But this is much more time-consuming than Katja thought. She took charge of clearing out the household because she is the only one who lives near her late grandfather. To do this, she immediately obtained a "free pass" from all the other heirs, stating that no one would claim any items still in the house. She then sold the piano, which went quite well and was actually picked up last week. Katja took the photo albums and a few personal items belonging to her grandfather home with her to look at them later in peace. But now? How is she supposed to sort through all the books, clear out the furniture, and decide what to throw away and what might still be usable? Eventually, she realizes that she can't sort through everything on her own, and she simply doesn't have enough space to keep all of her grandfather's treasures.
She needs a clearing company that will clear everything from the attic to the basement. She would never be able to do it herself, physically speaking. However, Katja doesn't want to pay too much for the clearance. In her opinion, a good portion of her grandfather's household goods should still be saleable. This should reduce the cost of clearing out the house if she uses a reputable company, right? Unfortunately, her sister Sina doesn't have any time to take care of it herself. But she agrees with Katja and recommends getting quotes from two or three different companies. They definitely need to come by in person and take a look at everything, says Sina, otherwise they won't be able to calculate the costs, let alone assess the value of the inventory. Katja should also make sure that the company gives her a written quote with a fixed price. No estimates, where the actual price can end up being 20 percent higher. Sina has another tip: it would be wise to check whether the company has liability insurance. A company without liability insurance would certainly be untrustworthy in this industry.
Katja is glad that she now knows what to do. Even if Sina's precocious advice always used to get on her nerves, the main thing is that she can now get this decluttering done quickly and relatively cheaply. Once the decluttering is done, the sale is sure to go through quickly. Fortunately, a competent real estate agent will take care of that!
Have you inherited a property and need a plan for what to do next? Contact us! We will be happy to advise you!
Further information can be found here:
- t-online.de: Household clearance
- umzugsauktion.de: Household clearance
- november.de: Household clearance
Legal notice: This article does not constitute tax or legal advice in individual cases. Please consult a lawyer and/or tax advisor to clarify the facts of your specific case.
Photo: © Animaflora-PicsStock/Depositphotos.com